The Human Emperor c1-2382

by Huangfu Qi (皇甫奇)

  “It’s the Secretariat Advisor!”

  “Today is the day that the King of Foreign Lands sets out. What are they doing, coming here with weapons?”

  “Hasn’t the Confucian Sect already lost? The Sage Emperor already gave the order. Are they defying an imperial decree and trying to stop him with force?”

  More and more people in the crowd began to notice the Confucian Sect members, and they all warily looked at Li Junxian.

  Li Junxian pretended not to hear the chatter of the crowd, and his eyes brimmed with resolve as he continued forward.

  The Confucian Sect members soon arrived in front of Wang Chong.

  The air was tense, with Zhang Que and Xu Keyi placing their hands on their weapons.

  “Li Junxian, your Confucian Sect has already completely lost, so what are you doing here? Are you still not satisfied?” Wang Chong said from atop the White-hoofed Shadow.

  The Confucian Sect had lost to him before the entire world, and would have no chance of a comeback in the reign of the current emperor. But Li Junxian had a stubborn personality. Now that Li Junxian’s convictions had crumbled, Wang Chong had no idea what sort of crazy act he might commit.

  But at this moment…

  Thump!

  In front of Wang Chong and the crowd, Confucian Sect Leader Li Junxian and the Confucian Sect disciples behind him got down on their knees.

  “Confucian Sect Leader and sinner Li Junxian is willing to lead the several thousand members of the Confucian Sect in redeeming ourselves, following the King of Foreign Lands to the northwest to resist the foreign enemy!

  “King of Foreign Lands, please accept our wish!”

  Li Junxian, wearing a cloth robe, his hair in disarray, lowered his head before Wang Chong.

  “King of Foreign Lands, please accept our wish!”

  Behind him, the Confucian Sect members all lowered their heads. They no longer had any of their former sharpness and energy. Like ordinary people, they meekly and reverentially bowed.

  “!!!”

  Everyone was struck dumb, even Wang Chong. But he quickly noticed Li Junxian’s sallow, pained, and ashamed face. Understanding what was going on, he sternly nodded.

  “Rise!”

  Wang Chong’s eyes flashed as he walked over to Li Junxian.

  ……

  Bang!

  Following Wang Chong’s orders, the world rumbled and groaned as tens of thousands of soldiers marched day and night, converging from different areas on Qixi. Li Junxian and his Confucian Sect were amongst them. This was their only chance to redeem themselves to the Great Tang and the people of the realm.

  Chapter 1823 - Return to the Northwest!

  Chapter 1823: Return to the Northwest!

  Translated by: Hypersheep325

  Edited by: Michyrr

  Putting aside the Confucian Sect for now, Wang Chong was finding that the cement road he had worked together with the great clans to build was proving critical.

  The cement roads throughout the Great Tang were like the blood vessels of the empire, and at every moment, soldiers, weapons, and supplies were traveling along these roads to the northwest.

  The turning of wheels was constant. Wang Chong’s goal of saving time for soldiers marching to the northwest had truly been realized.

  An endless stream of supplies and soldiers in open-top wagons drawn by numerous warhorses traveled from the capital to Qixi, and the entire realm was gripped by a somber air.

  ……

  At this time, winds howled across the triangular gap, and thousands of warhorses stood atop the Tibetan Plateau, facing north.

  Plumes of thick smoke and gouts of flame were rising from the northeast. Thousands of craftsmen were hard at work, and in front of them, rows of steel walls formed a long defensive line to protect the Great Tang.

  This firm defensive line appeared like a grandiose ‘dam’, extending for a length of several hundred li.

  Past those bright silver walls, far to the northwest, the rumbling of warhorses could be heard.

  Far on the horizon was a massive, domed fortress, built in the Arabian style.

  At the top of this fortress was a massive black banner depicting a crescent moon, exerting a massive pressure upon all who looked at it.

  In front of this fortress was a force of tens of thousands of Arab cavalry, all of them wrapped in black armor, drawn up in a long line and ready to charge.

  It had been some time now since the Arabs had defeated the Anxi Protectorate army. More and more soldiers were arriving, and the sharp neigh of horses had almost become background noise.

  Even though the war had yet to begin, the entire region was on a hair trigger, the tension so thick that it could be cut with a knife. No one knew when the Arabs would attack and thus when the next war would begin.

  At the front of the tens of thousands of soldiers arrayed at the triangular gap, Su Hanshan suddenly asked, “Has His Highness sent his order?”

  A young man came out from the rear and said, “Milord, His Highness has ordered you to hold back for now and await further orders.

  “However, his Highness has also said that as long as it’s not a direct clash, Milord can do as you please. In addition, there are no restraints with regards to the Shi Kingdom Prince and the other kingdoms of the Western Regions who yielded to Arabia.”

  Su Hanshan seemed to understand something, and a smile formed on his lips.

  “Kong Zi-an, you heard His Highness’s order, yes?”

  “Your subordinate understands!” Kong Zi-an sternly said.

  While they couldn’t engage in a direct clash, they could still raid and harass. And while the Arabs might be powerful, the same could not be said for the Shi Kingdom’s forces.

  They could use this chance to make a night raid. This could both restrain the Arabs and intimidate the kingdoms of the Western Regions. They needed to do as much as possible to tip the balance in the Great Tang’s favor, and if possible, it would be best if they could lure the Arabs to the triangular gap.

  The triangular gap was already watertight, and no matter how many soldiers the Arabs sent, they would find it hard to accomplish much.

  Gallop!

  After taking one last glance at the massive, domed fortress on the horizon, Su Hanshan led his men away. He had more important matters to handle.

  Boom!

  A few moments later, there was a massive boom. The Qixi Armory, the only armory in the northwest and the largest in the realm, rumbled open.

  With the entire process overseen by numerous grounds, numerous ballistae, swords, sabers, spears, and suits of armor were brought out.

  As the armory of the imperial household, it could only be opened on orders of the Sage Emperor.

  In the Battle of Talas, Wang Chong had only dared to utilize a portion of the resources within, but this time was different. All of the weapons within, particularly the numerous ballistae, were taken out and transported to the triangular gap or the City of Steel.

  When he had last taken inventory, Wang Chong had found there to be at least one hundred thousand ballistae in the armory. This was a number that the Sage Emperor had achieved through thirty-some years of constant production and accumulation, all in preparation for a war like this.

  Even though the tribulations of time had left some of the ballistae damaged, and some of them had been sent back from various areas to be repaired, even after deducting these, there were still seventy thousand ballistae that could be used in battle.

  This was an immense and influential power on the battlefield.

  ……

  Ten-some days went by in the blink of an eye. More than one million Arab soldiers had now arrived in the northwest, with more on the way.

  Arab Governors and Deputy Governors began to arrive in the fortress, radiating vast pillars of energy into the sky.

  At present, the Arabs still showed no signs of attacking.

  But in the northwest, the atmosphere of war was getting thicke
r and thicker.

  The Ü-Tsang Empire, the Eastern Turkic Khaganate, the Western Turkic Khaganate, and the distant Goguryeo Empire and Mengshe Zhao were all watching this imminent and unprecedented conflict between the Great Tang and Arabia.

  Though it was still a latent conflict, numerous messenger birds flew here and there across the skies of the northwest, delivering and receiving intelligence reports.

  To the southeast, not far from where the Arabs were garrisoned, horses neighed and smoke boiled into the sky. Each day, more and more soldiers were arriving.

  The soldiers of the Qixi Protectorate had already completely withdrawn to the City of Steel. Meanwhile, an endless stream of soldiers was coming in from the capital and the interior.

  While Arabia had gathered more than one million soldiers in the Western Regions, more than two hundred thousand had gathered at the City of Steel. Together with the seventy-thousand-some soldiers at the triangular gap, there were nearly three hundred thousand soldiers gathered, and more were on their way.

  All of the soldiers who had been relieved of duty in the militarist-Confucian conflict had already been reinstated and sent over according to the Sage Emperor’s decree. Moreover, more than one hundred titled generals of the Great Tang were converging on this location, Wang Chong’s father amongst them.

  This was a force unprecedented in the history of the Great Tang.

  Whoosh!

  Ten days later, amidst howling winds, Wang Chong arrived on his White-hoofed Shadow. As he led his forces into the City of Steel, a massive cheer resounded across the northwest.

  “The King of Foreign Lands!”

  “The King of Foreign Lands!”

  “The King of Foreign Lands!”

  Thunderous cheers came from the City of Steel as the crowd spotted that familiar figure. The heavy and oppressive mood that had hung over the northwest for many days was instantly swept away, and the entire army was invigorated.

  Wang Chong sat tall upon his horse, his mind in turmoil as he looked around at the vast army and the majestic walls of the defense line.

  It had been more than half a year since the Confucian Sect had stripped him of his military authority and called him back to the capital. Finally, he had returned to the northwest.

  That familiar scent in the air sent ripples through Wang Chong’s heart.

  “Paying respects to Milord!”

  Su Hanshan, Kong Zi-an, Zhang Shouzhi, and the many titled generals all came forward and bowed to Wang Chong.

  After the various incidents, topped by the Rebellion of the Three Princes, Wang Chong’s prestige in the empire was truly like that of the noon sun. Even those titled generals who had never met Wang Chong before were all brimming with respect for this young commander.

  “Thank you for your service!”

  Wang Chong didn’t spend much time on pleasantries. He rode forward, leading Li Siye, Guo Ziyi, Young Master Qingyang, and his other subordinates through the crowd.

  “What’s the situation in the northwest?”

  “Your Highness, the Arab commander, Khatabah, will arrive in the Western Regions in about ten days. In addition, the Mamelukes have already arrived. From what we’ve learned, these should be the reserve members of the Mamelukes. Although they’re somewhat weaker, they are far more numerous, reaching thirty thousand in number. There are also five thousand regular Mamelukes with them.”

  The speaker was none other than the former Lord of Talas, Yang Hongchang.

  The cunning Arabs had planted insiders in the city who had helped them in taking Talas. Yang Hongchang had only managed to escape by using a secret passage.

  Nevertheless, Yang Hongchang’s many years operating in Talas had been enormously useful. Even though he had already returned to the City of Steel, the spies he had left back at Talas were still working.

  Wang Chong slightly frowned upon hearing this.

  The Mamelukes had been known as the number one cavalry force in the previous timeline. Even though they had been defeated by the Wushang Cavalry, their strength could not be taken lightly.

  The Mamelukes had suffered a heavy blow in the last war, but just like the Wushang Cavalry, they had their ways of getting new blood.

  The Mamelukes should be mobilizing everything they have this time. If I can defeat them, they won’t be able to stage another comeback.

  Wang Chong turned pensive at this thought.

  “Who is the current commander of the Arab camp?” Wang Chong asked.

  “It’s Abu Muslim. He arrived a few days ago. There are also several other Arab Governors and Deputy Governors with him. We were ready to do battle with them, but to our surprise, even though the Arabs had the overwhelming advantage in numbers, the first thing Abu Muslim did was to gather his men and focus even more on building fortifications, making their camp watertight!” Yang Hongchang said.

  Wang Chong immediately raised an eyebrow in surprise.

  Chapter 1824 - The Generals Gather! (I)

  Chapter 1824: The Generals Gather! (I)Translated by: Hypersheep325

  Edited by: MichyrrWang Chong had originally been planning to engage in a short and fierce battle while the full Arab army had yet to arrive. He hadn’t expected Abu Muslim to be so cautious.After the defeat at Talas, Abu Muslim should have been anxious to take revenge and redeem himself, but the result was completely the opposite.“Show me!”Wang Chong quickly rode forward, mounting the high northern walls of the City of Steel. On the horizon, he spotted that black crescent moon banner snapping in the wind and that massive fortress soaring into the sky.……On the other side, as Wang Chong appeared on the northern wall of the City of Steel, around six hundred li east of Suiye, a massive new city had been erected.At the center of it was a massive, domed fortress, three thousand meters in diameter and several hundred meters tall. It was ringed by multiple walls and guarded by Arab cavalry who were vigilant and ready to fight at any moment.Around these walls were countless Arab craftsmen busy at work, strengthening the current walls and continuing to expand them. Black Arabian banners had been planted along the walls, granting them a grim and heavily guarded appearance.At this time, a powerful figure wreathed in energy stood atop the domed fortress, his eyes sharp and his aura like that of a demon god.“He’s here…”Abu Muslim looked to the southeast, a dark cloud of worry flitting across his face.From his perspective, a giant storm of bright and blazing energy had appeared in the direction of the City of Steel. For an expert like Abu Muslim, it was like an additional sun had appeared, difficult to look at directly.The thought of that young Tang commander instinctively made Abu Muslim’s heart surge with hatred and killing intent.Abu Muslim wanted to go forward and attack, but he did not dare. Even though he had one million elites under his command, an overwhelming advantage in numbers, even though Hierophant Khatabah had given him authority over the army and he could seemingly destroy the City of Steel with a single order, Abu Muslim did not dare.Although his hatred and desire to kill were intense, his fear was deeper and even stronger.He could never forget how that demon god of a youth had been constantly reaping the souls of the Arab soldiers as his army advanced. All those soldiers and all those top-class generals, no matter how strong, might as well have been weeds in front of that youth.Abu Muslim had no confidence in his victory!“How long until the Hierophant arrives?” Abu Muslim suddenly asked.“Milord, it will be around ten days,” an Arab general behind him said with a bow.Khatabah’s army was not moving very quickly, advancing every day exactly according to schedule. Even so, the force of the Arabian Empire’s advance was truly stunning to behold. Moreover, the one million soldiers already at the front line were perfectly safe, so long as they did not engage in any reckless offensives and only defended.“Mm!”Abu Muslim sternly nodded.“Pass on my order! Continue to strengthen the fortifications until the Hierophant arrives. Within ten days, I want the fortifications doubled in size, and all of them must be made using steel. If this is not done, all the craftsmen and their families will be executed!” A
bu Muslim declared, a callous tone in his voice.This eastern expedition was unprecedented, and the fate of Arabia was on the line. Defeat was not an option. Thus, those craftsmen who had followed the army had also been forced to bring along their families.If the mission were not completed, everyone would be executed. This was a tradition of Arabia, and while it was cruel and callous, it was quite effective.“Yes!”Several Arab generals bowed and went to deliver the orders.Boom!Following this order, the labor on the Arab base became even more frenzied. The craftsmen threw themselves into their work, toiling night and day. Many Arab soldiers were also put to work in building the fortifications.The hammering of steel resounded through the heavens, and dark plumes of smoke soared into the air. The formidable forging ability of the Arabian Empire was on full display in this war. Though it might have not been as impressive as the Great Tang’s, it was not far behind.This was something Abu Muslim had learned from Wang Chong after his defeat, a result of a memorial he had submitted to the Caliph and the Hierophant.Time slowly passed, and the number of soldiers in the Western Regions continued to rise. Five days later, the Arab army had reached one and a half million, and this was not counting the several hundred thousand logistics soldiers.The immense force gathered in the Western Regions placed unprecedented pressure on the surrounding countries.At the same time, in the City of Steel to the southeast…Clang!A massive hammer that weighed seventy to eighty jin slammed down on the base of a steel module, firmly rooting it into the rock.“Solder team!”A bare-chested man, his body rippling with muscle, quickly took several steps back while waving his hand at a team of craftsmen in the back.Hiss! Crack!With a loud hiss, a bucket of molten steel was poured into the cracks between the module and the pit dug into the ground.Smoke surged into the air, and this molten steel quickly solidified, fusing the heavy steel wall with the earth so firmly that they seemed to have always been one. After this strengthening, even the full strength of an Arab cavalry charge would find it hard to topple these walls.“Hurry! Faster!”“Where’s the smelting team? Have they finished melting down the ingots?”“Installation team, hurry up! There’s too few people working here! Get some soldiers and have experienced craftsmen teach them! I need another one thousand teams!”“Survey team, faster! Mark the locations of the steel walls according to the diagram! Speed is paramount! Remember, we’re not just building walls and forging weapons! We’re setting up a defense line for the entire Great Tang!”“Faster, faster…”The City of Steel was seething with smoke and flames. Everyone had sweat drenching their backs as they hammered away.The finest craftsmen of the Great Tang and Arabia were fully displaying their abilities in this small region. This was a rare clash of craftsmen. There was no clear victory or defeat, and no judge, but a mistake could lead to the death of hundreds of thousands of men, if not millions.It was difficult to say which side’s craftsmen were more skilled, only that the Great Tang had divided their craftsmen into many teams that worked together like a person’s hands and feet. Though they had different duties, they all worked toward the same goal.While both sides were engaged in the same kind of project, the Great Tang made far more efficient use of its time.This was the result of the rational distribution of labor Wang Chong had learned from that other world and had applied to his current situation.While Wang Chong led the army in setting up fortifications at the front line, the interior of the empire was also at work. Vast quantities of weapons and supplies continued to travel swiftly along the cement roads.Along with them were tens of thousands of soldiers, all of them in disciplined ranks.We’re almost there! Gao Xianzhi quietly said to himself as he looked at the brightly lit City of Steel.Geshu Han was dead, and Fumeng Lingcha, after falsifying military reports and then taking part in the Rebellion of the Three Princes, had once more been jailed. Meanwhile, the Anxi Protectorate army had first been weakened by the Confucian Sect and then been wiped out by the Arabs. Thus, the Sage Emperor had simply given command of Longxi’s tens of thousands of soldiers to Gao Xianzhi.Wang Chong, it seems that we’re going to fight alongside each other once more!The dark clouds of war covered the region, exerting a stifling atmosphere. Gao Xianzhi’s eyes coldly flashed as he spurred his horse into a gallop, leading Feng Changqing, Cheng Qianli, Xi Yuanqing, and his other veteran officers into the City of Steel.When Gao Xianzhi had been called back by the First Prince into the interior to receive his ‘promotion’, Cheng Qianli, Xi Yuanqing, and his other officers had been transferred with him. But this had allowed them to escape the fate of being slain in the Arab ambush.As time continued to pass, more and more soldiers gathered in the City of Steel. After Gao Xianzhi, the second column of soldiers arrived, this one led by Tongluo Great General Abusi.Neigh!Ten thousand Tongluo Cavalry, wearing their bronze armor, galloped over with a thunderous momentum that made ten thousand seem even more intimidating than one hundred thousand.Rumble!Three days later, the third Great General arrived. Zhangchou Jianqiong had retired from the border some time ago, but this time, he had once more taken command, bringing with him his several dozen old subordinates from the southwest and Xianyu Zhongtong’s Annan Protectorate army.It had been nearly two years since he had personally led an army, but for the Tiger of the Empire, two short years was practically nothing compared to a lifetime spent on the campaign trail. Battle was in his blood.And after Zhangchou Jianqiong was Beiting Protector-General An Sishun!Before the Rebellion of the Three Princes, the First Prince had framed him in the Setting Sun Villa incident to strip him of his military authority. However, a significant number of soldiers in the Beiting Protectorate army had taken part in the rebellion. This was a fact, and so An Sishun was in the most complicated situation.An Sishun first needed to remove those rebellious traitors in his army before setting off.This had significantly delayed An Sishun. In addition, Zhang Zheng had only brought a part of the Beiting Protectorate army with him, and he had left a significant portion back in the region of the Yin Mountains. As a result, even though An Sishun had started off in the capital, he had arrived at the City of Steel later than both Gao Xianzhi and Abusi.Amongst the generals, An Sishun had the most complicated relationship with Wang Chong. They had been both enemies and collaborators. An Sishun’s younger brother An Wenzhen had even been killed by Wang Chong. Even though An Wenzhen had always been a good-for-nothing disappointment to An Sishun, he had still been An Sishun’s younger brother. This alone presented an unresolveable grievance between An Sishun and Wang Chong.However, this was a private grudge, and the rules by which Great Generals operated were not the same as those of normal people. When Wang Chong was reconsolidating the Qixi Protectorate and removed many disobedient Hu, he had sent many of them to An Sishun, who had accepted them without hesitation, ignoring his grudge with Wang Chong.The reason was simple: it had benefited him!In this empire, there was only one man who possessed supreme authority and status, and that was the Sage Emperor residing in Taiji Palace. Whether Great General or Protector-General, Wang Chong or An Sishun, or even the Princes, none of them could put personal good over public welfare. If they did, then let alone dealing with Wang Chong, An Sishun would have been the first to find his position in peril.